


To Albus Dumbledore, A Mirror, From Salazar Slytherin

by generalzero



Series: Help Will Always Be Given [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Mirror of Erised, One Shot, Resurrection Stone, Temptation, everyone has a bit of all the houses in them, inspired by the bullshit sword of gryffindor out of the sorting hat business, obsessive sorting culture is divisive my dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-08 17:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14110308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generalzero/pseuds/generalzero
Summary: Sometimes, help is given, but not accepted.(or)The four Founders of Hogwarts were by no means the greatest or most powerful wixen ever known, but on Hogwarts grounds and over Hogwarts students, their influence is sacrosanct. Whether through the magic of the Sorting Hat and the castle itself, or some other cunning, mysterious means of reaching through time, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.





	To Albus Dumbledore, A Mirror, From Salazar Slytherin

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by:
> 
> 1) my frustration with obsessive sorting culture in fandom  
> 2) Rowling's generally lazy exploitation of the sorting mechanic in canon  
> 3) the thing where only a true gryffindor can pull godric's sword out of the sorting hat i low key detest this
> 
> Warnings: canon typical violence and language, heed the tags

The Resurrection Stone lay on the Headmaster's desk, glinting dully from its setting in Marvolo Gaunt's family ring.

Of all the Deathly Hallows, the one Salazar himself is wary of is the Resurrection Stone. The Elder wand is just a wand after all, and there are many, many ways to defeat someone without resorting to magic, though many modern wixen might be too coddled or too prejudiced to think so. Salazar himself often values his persuasive tongue over his (prodigious) magical skill. The Invisibility Cloak, too, is not infallible, nor is it useful for more than hiding, though it's a far more reliable tool than the deathstick.

The Resurrection Stone is perhaps the least useful of all three Hallows, and yet Salazar considers it the most dangerous. It offers temptation but delivers regret; it entraps its wielder in a self-made prison of could-have-beens and what-ifs. Salazar detests the thing—and now it sits before Albus Dumbledore, glittering like all the promises in the world.

Salazar is not fond of Albus Dumbledore, despite the man's great ambition and plethora of manipulative skills. Salazar might have applauded the wizard's way of not-quite lying, of inspiring people's blind faith, of making the pragmatic but distasteful decisions necessary to win in a game of increasingly bad odds—except that Albus Dumbledore refuses to admit to playing any such game, even to himself, and hypocrisy is the one trait Salazar does not welcome into his House. Godric can have this one, and the headaches his mistakes cause.

It is one particular mistake that glitters now in the Resurrection Stone, and Salazar is familiar with Dumbledore's track record with temptation. So, even though Albus Dumbledore is not Salazar's responsibility, even though the foolish man should know better, even though there is no way to intervene subtly (as the Founders have agreed must be the rule)—Salazar wakes the Sorting Hat and gives it a parcel to deliver.

Salazar watches Albus Dumbledore fail to show any great surprise when the the Sorting Hat yawns, grumbles "Oh bloody hell, fine then" and tumbles off its shelf. Summoning the Hat, Dumbledore retrieves a small silver mirror from inside. The fact that it remains mysteriously unbroken despite its tumble also fails to ruffle the wizard.

As soon as he catches a proper look at the mirror's surface, however, Dumbledore frowns. A few incantations later and Dumbledore has obviously come to the correct conclusion: the mirror is a miniature replica of the Mirror of Erised, and furthermore is enchanted with the same exact charm Dumbledore himself used six years ago to keep Voldemort from accessing the Philosopher's stone. The warning should be obvious, Salazar reasons. Remove yourself from temptation. Put the Stone in the Mirror.

Unfortunately, he doesn't.


End file.
